Summer Snow

I have never been more glad to have named my blog so appropriately. Not only have I not been cooking, I haven't been roasting, baking, grilling or even stirring (not even a coffee!) for at least two weeks, maybe longer. Don't worry. I have been eating. A lot. Just other people's food. Like at the new restaurant, NoMad.

I was lucky enough to have enjoyed a fabulous dinner there a few weeks ago, coincidentally just after I spotted the chef-partner's snow pea salad recipe published in New York magazine. I decided to make it in anticipation of my visit, to see how well I followed directions and how closely my version resembled the professional version. I didn't do too badly...aside from my lack of precise knife skills (or the desire to create the perfect julienne), my use of bacon (in excess!), and ignoring the lemon oil request, it was pretty, pretty good.

Snow-Pea Salad
Adapted from New York

For the lemon vinaigrette:
3/4 cup lemon oil (or extra-virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the salad:
1 pound snow peas
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white onion, finely diced
1/3 cup pancetta (or slab bacon), finely diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup packed mint leaves, washed
Pecorino, to garnish

1. For the lemon vinaigrette: In a bowl, whisk together the lemon oil and lemon juice and season with salt. Reserve.

2. For the snow-pea salad: Trim the ends of the snow peas, and remove the strings. Slice lengthwise into a fine julienne. Soak in ice water to crisp for about 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until very soft (about 10 minutes), then add the pancetta (or bacon) and cook until the fat starts to render.

4. Drain the snow peas, and dry completely on paper towels. Place the snow peas in a large bowl along with the onion and pancetta, and dress with enough vinaigrette to just coat the snow peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and finish with the mint leaves and shaved Pecorino. Serves 4.

Pot Head

WARNING: This recipe requires you to use every pot and pan that you own.
I'm still doing dishes.

Not that that's over with, this is a delicious lasagna recipe that you should totally try! Because my clever local wine store emails me updates on weekly wine specials, I (obvs!) have to buy whatever they are selling. Last week they were promoting a pinot noir that was mentioned in the NY Times weekly tasting report on 2008 Oregon pinots. I like pinots, this one happened to be a good buy, so I decided to make the suggested pairing recipe to go along with it. I didn't realize when I was shopping for mushrooms that I would have to use 18 different pots to make it.

According to Florence Fabricant:

Like pinot noir, mushrooms are Oregon’s pride, another gift of terroir. The complex flavors in those wines and their bright acidity make them a dandy foil for a sumptuous lasagna.

Listen, this is a sumptuous lasagna and I'm glad that I made it, but honestly if I am going to destroy my kitchen for a recipe I would have hoped that it would have made double the amount in order to get the most out of my sweat equity. So, that is my suggestion to you. Double up. And then make it for someone who actually cares about mushrooms and wine pairings. Otherwise, just saute some 'shrooms, toss them with some pasta and cream, and call it a day. Two pots and you're dunzo.



Mushroom Lasagna
(Adapted from Florence Fabricant)

1/4 pound pancetta, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced
12 sage leaves, slivered
Salt and pepper
2 1/4 cups milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (or black truffle butter)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 pound pasta for lasagna, preferably fresh, parboiled if dry (Pot #1)
3 ounces Grana Padano, grated
1 ounce Parmesan, grated

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Cook the pancetta in a large skillet (Pot #2) over medium-low heat, stirring, until the fat starts to render. Increase the heat and cook a few minutes more, until the pancetta begins to brown and crisp. Transfer it to a dish (Pot #3). Add the oil to the pan along with the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until they soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sage. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan (Pot #4) until just beginning to simmer. Melt the butter (or truffle butter) over low heat in a large saucepan (Pot #5). Whisk the flour into the melted butter. Cook about 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the warm milk. Continue whisking and cooking until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 1 minute more. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Taste the sauce to make sure that it's seasoned well since it is the base of the lasagna.)

3. Cover the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish (Pot #6) with a thin layer of the sauce, then cover it with a layer of pasta. Spread with half the mushrooms, scatter half the pancetta on top, and sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Spread a third of the sauce on the cheese. Repeat the layers. Cover with the remaining pasta, spread with the remaining sauce, and scatter the remaining Grana Padano and the Parmesan on top.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Makes about 8 servings as a first course or 4 to 6 as a main course.